Russian Media Regulator Blocks Website Of Britain's Telegraph

Russia's media regulator, Roskomnadzor, has blocked the website of Britain's The Telegraph daily as Moscow attempts to control the flow of information related to its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

According to Roskomsvoboda, a group that promotes uncensored online media in Russia, the decision was made in April at the request by the Prosecutor-General's Office, which considered one of the periodical's articles "fake." The decision only took force on June 20, it said.

Roskomsvoboda added that online materials from The Telegraph are now available only via subscription.

According to web-monitoring group GlobalCheck, The Telegraph is accessible in Russia only through a virtual private network (VPN).

Roskomnadzor has not explained the move.

Roskomsvoboda says that since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, Moscow has blocked more than 2,300 websites, including those of RFE/RL's Russian Service, Current Time, Voice of America, Deustche Welle, Bild, and Meduza.

Also, on June 20, Russia's Justice Ministry added the organization First Scientific to the registry of "foreign agents."

The ministry explained the move by saying the organization was established by noted blogger, showman, and historian Yevgeny Ponasenkov, who was already labeled a "foreign agent."

Ponasenkov has harshly criticized the Russian government over its war against Ukraine.

First passed in 2012, Russia's "foreign agent" legislation initially targeted nongovernmental organizations accused of having received foreign funding. But it has undergone numerous modifications to include foreign media organizations as well as individuals.

SEE ALSO: European Court Rules Russia's Foreign Agents Law Violates Human Rights

Human Rights Watch has criticized the legislation -- which subjects those blacklisted to restrictions, fines, and bans -- as "restrictive" and intended "to demonize independent groups."